U.S. Pat. No. 4,915,413 discloses an apparatus for restraining a vehicle occupant. The apparatus disclosed in the '413 patent includes a lap belt and a shoulder belt which are each movable between retracted positions at the outboard side of a vehicle seat and restraining positions extending across an occupant of the seat. One end of the lap belt is wound on a retractor at the outboard side of the seat. The other end of the lap belt is connected to a tongue which is releasably lockable in a buckle located at the inboard side of the seat. One end of the shoulder belt is wound on a retractor at the outboard side of the seat, and the other end of the shoulder belt is connected to a connector plate. The connector plate has a rivet which is releasably receivable in an opening in the tongue at the end of the lap belt. The connector plate and the shoulder belt are thus releasably connectable with the tongue and the lap belt.
When the connector plate and the shoulder belt are connected to the tongue and the lap belt, the shoulder belt and the lap belt are movable together across the seat between the retracted and the restraining positions. When the connector plate and the shoulder belt are disconnected from the tongue and the lap belt, the lap belt can be moved back and forth between its retracted and restraining positions while the shoulder belt remains in its retracted position.